Twenty-four EFR jawans were killed yesterday when the ultras overran their camp at Silda in West Midnapore after setting it on fire.
Three Maoists and a civilian were among those killed when the ultras attacked the Eastern Frontier Rifle (EFR) camp in West Midnapore district leaving 24 jawans dead, police said today.
"Three Maoists were killed during retaliation by the jawans after the attack," DGP Bhupinder Singh told PTI.
An unidentified civilian was also killed in the attack.
Twenty-four EFR jawans were killed yesterday when the ultras overran their camp at Silda in West Midnapore after setting it on fire.
There were 51 EFR jawans and officers in the camp when the attack took place, police said, adding that many of them are still missing.
All the bodies were recovered this morning, police said, adding they have been sent to Midnapore Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem.
However, police has not yet recovered bodies of the Maoists killed in the attack.
Joint forces jawans have sanitised the entire 30 km stretch of road where mines were planted by the Maoists to prevent police from entering the spot.
After the attack, the Maoists had celebrated the victory in the nearby Vadua forest by firing in the air.
The ultras had also attacked a CRPF camp at Dharampur in the district. However, details were not available.
Maoist leader Kishenji has claimed responsibility for the attack.
"We have attacked the camp and this is our answer to home minister P Chidambaram's 'Operation Green Hunt' and unless the Centre stops this inhuman military operation, we are going to answer this way only," Kishenji told PTI from an undisclosed location.
Admitting that there was "certain lapse of security", the DGP said the attack was the biggest in recent years in West Bengal. "This is also in reaction to our proposed joint efforts with Jharkhand to track Maoists who have taken shelter in these areas," he said.
Singh termed the attack as a setback, but said it would not change the government's resolve in tackling the menace.
"We have to review our strategy because there are certain new
things that we have seen in this attack," he said.
The police chief said the camp would be shifted from the present location. "We will find another proper location for the camp which also provides us better defence capabilities and also will be in a position to retaliate if it is attacked," he said.
To a question whether more such attacks were possible, Singh said, "They will definitely try to attack us. We will also attack them."
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